Business Must Not Miss this Boat
FREE-trade area talks between the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) and the US are a bit like the children’s film, The Never Ending Story.
Development through Trade: A South African trade policy
SA SHOULD develop a trade policy, as distinct from negotiating positions. As government moves to accelerate our economic growth rate it is timely to consider this.
Africa-China Relations Require Reality Check
China is a rising, rapidly modernising power. Its manufacturing prowess grows daily; its overseas footprint measured through population and investment expansion abroad is increasingly felt.
Development through Trade – Genetically modified foods
I USED to think trade debates were polarised until I discovered genetically modified (GM) foods.
Development through Trade: the appropriate contours of a SA-centric intra-African trade strategy?
WHAT are the appropriate contours of a SA-centric intra-African trade strategy? Among economists there is consensus that productive, or supply-side, capacities encompassing a host of “behind-the-border” issues need attention.
It’s Time to Stop Blaming China Alone Over Textiles
CHINA-bashing in SA is intensifying. It is centred on clothing and textile imports. But diminishing returns are setting in; the blame game is becoming tiresome.
More sour than sweet in SA-China trade relations
HAILED as an overwhelming success, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to South Africa raises profound questions about bilateral engagement and how we will deal with global economic and trade dynamics in the coming decade.
Food for Thought in a Hungry Region
Food security has consistently eluded Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries over the past five years. Millions of people still suffer from chronic starvation and malnutrition.
Development through Trade: Reforming Customs Procedures
I HAVE travelled to many parts of the world and seen processes far worse than those that greet visitors to Johannesburg International Airport (JIA): Mumbai and Sao Paulo come to mind; New York is no picnic.
Development through Trade: Cosatu’s ‘big push’
AS I write, Cosatu is deliberating on its industrial strategy vision. In the wake of the Chinese textiles saga, in which trade union influence was palpable, it is important to understand what this vision means for government’s economic policy and industrial strategy.